77

60

66.7

64.5

66.1

.501

.521

18.5%

29.7%

48.2%

11.1%

27.0%

After blowing a 6-1 lead in the top of the eighth, the Orioles scored four runs in the bottom of the inning and won. In the words of Stone Cold Steve Austin, "What?"

2

73

65

71.8

70.4

70.0

.517

.497

8.8%

9.8%

18.6%

3.1%

-2.9%

Nick Punto is hitting .167/.333/.167 since The Trade, so clearly the Dodgers lost that swap.

3

78

60

77.6

76.4

76.1

.558

.538

1.3%

93.1%

94.4%

2.7%

5.3%

Craig Kimbrel needs to strike out 35 hitters in his next 26 2/3 innings to equal what he did last season. That sounds like a tall order (almost 12 K/9) but this season Kimbrel is striking out over 16 per nine.

12.8%

73

63

72.5

74.8

75.0

.543

.563

41.0%

9.6%

50.6%

0.9%

1.6%

The Tigers (73-63) are 72-63 when Jim Leyland secretly smokes in the dugout. Yeah, he forgot his pack one day.

6

82

55

80.5

84.7

83.9

.604

.623

96.1%

3.7%

99.8%

0.0%

-0.1%

Top prospect Jurickson Profar was called up on September 1, but has played in just one game (doubling and homering in four plate appearances). Instead Ron Washington has Michael Young, who hasn't hit this season (.267/.298/.355) or played shortstop well since college.

7

61

77

58.1

59.7

60.3

.433

.414

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

A scoreless inning from Heath Bell brought his ERA down to 5.56. Just 750 days left until Bell-free life!

8

85

52

83.5

85.6

83.8

.617

.598

98.7%

1.3%

100.0%

0.0%

0.1%

One hopes the Nationals have a warehouse worth of medical and statistical information backing up their decision to shut down one of the best pitchers in baseball for the playoffs.

9

56

81

58.5

60.7

60.9

.431

.450

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Twins starting pitchers lead the league in being bad at striking out hitters.

10

65

72

65.5

68.7

70.1

.492

.472

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Name three Mets. Yes, of course R.A. Dickey, David Wright but no, not Darryl Strawberry.

11

61

75

62.8

60.0

61.9

.452

.472

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

John Farrell is probably a fine manager, but if the last place Blue Jays can convince anyone to give them a worthwhile prospect for him, he should be out the door before he has a chance to put his pants on.

12

64

74

63.2

64.4

63.4

.462

.442

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Now that Chris Denorfia has been re-signed to a two year deal we can all breathe a sigh of relief, pull up Baseball-Reference, and look up just who the heck Chris Denorfia is.

13

67

71

68.0

64.0

65.5

.479

.499

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.1%

The proper time for the Mariners to trade Felix Hernandez is right now. Whoops, too late.

14

66

71

66.6

68.6

69.1

.493

.473

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Quick Quiz! Does Jonathan Papelbon have the highest K/9 in the Phillies bullpen? Nope! Oh, well, must be second then. Nope! He's behind Antonio Bastardo and Jake Diekman. Who? Right.

15

61

76

62.7

60.1

60.0

.445

.465

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The Nationals got the first overall pick two times in a row and wound up with Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. The Rays get B.J. Upton and David Price. The Royals got Luke Hochevar.

16

63

75

68.1

70.1

70.1

.492

.512

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

In a two-month stretch that has seen the Red Sox come apart physically, mentally, and, through trade, actually, Dustin Pedroia has been, perhaps the lone bright spot. However, now that the commissioner's office has decreed he can no longer wear a miner's helmet during games, that will change.

17

51

86

53.8

50.0

50.4

.374

.356

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Yes, yes, the Cubs lost, but not exactly being in the pennant race that hardly matters. Anthony Rizzo, however, matters, and 3-for-4 with a homer makes last night a good one.

18

58

79

52.1

56.9

57.9

.410

.430

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The Indians are 18-8 in one-run games, which means they're 40-71 in two-run-or-more games.

19

42

95

47.2

47.5

47.8

.337

.319

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The Astros are 3-13 since firing manager Brad Mills. So yeah, that worked.

20

56

80

59.3

56.4

56.5

.420

.400

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Yesterday in this space Colorado's lackluster road OPS was cited to explain away their loss featuring two hits and no runs. Yesterday the Rockies lost 1-0 again but this time they got seven hits. Improvement!

21

68

70

72.1

71.5

71.4

.513

.493

0.4%

0.6%

1.0%

-0.1%

0.5%

At.301/.357/.512, Aaron Hill is living proof that sometimes a challenge trade works.

22

83

55

78.1

76.7

74.4

.566

.546

99.0%

0.9%

99.9%

-0.1%

-0.1%

Reds starting pitchers have thrown 865 innings this season, all but three of which have come from the same five-man rotation.

23

67

70

70.7

70.6

67.4

.503

.483

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.3%

0.0%

A Milwaukee starting pitcher struck out a batter per inning and didn't walk anyone. Sure, he gave up seven hits and four runs in five innings, but playing out the string is all about looking on the positive side of things.

24

77

60

72.5

71.5

70.4

.532

.512

90.8%

2.3%

93.1%

-0.7%

1.3%

Tim Lincecum's fastball might be slower, but his strikeouts aren't down. Instead his walks are up, almost double since 2009.

25

74

62

74.4

70.6

69.9

.531

.551

59.0%

3.8%

62.8%

-1.5%

-22.9%

Alexei Ramirez has walked in just 2.7 percent of his plate appearances, third lowest of anyone (minimum 250 plate appearances division).

26

72

64

69.8

69.6

67.7

.513

.493

0.0%

18.4%

18.4%

-1.6%

-15.6%

Jose Tabata has eight stolen bases while being caught 12 times. He actually tried to steal 21 times but once on the way to second base he got lost.

27

75

62

77.6

77.5

78.6

.563

.583

14.3%

42.2%

56.5%

-2.5%

6.0%

The Rays are 11th in runs scored and first in runs allowed in the American League. The Rays are a walking, pitching, hitting (kinda) park effect.

28

74

63

78.7

78.9

76.7

.563

.543

1.0%

73.6%

74.6%

-3.0%

11.4%

Let's start a rumor right here, right now. Josh Hamilton to the Cardinals! Pass it on! Whoopee!

29

77

60

77.0

77.4

78.5

.565

.585

67.2%

22.6%

89.8%

-3.3%

-8.7%

In a tie game entering the eighth inning, David Robertson's night went thusly: homer, single, homer. Then bullpen mate Boone Logan was brought in: homer. I assume that was for emphasis.

30

76

60

75.7

73.2

73.8

.549

.569

2.2%

44.6%

46.8%

-5.7%

-15.6%

The A's would be a game out in the American League East and ahead by two games if they were in the Central. If only they weren't so screwed by geography!